DOJ Tries To Ward Off Schiff’s Threatened Barr Contempt Recommendation

United States Representative Adam Schiff (Democrat of California), Ranking Member, US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Russia Investigative Task Force, listens as former US Secretary of Homeland Secur... United States Representative Adam Schiff (Democrat of California), Ranking Member, US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Russia Investigative Task Force, listens as former US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson testifies before the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Credit: Ron Sachs / CNP - NO'WIRE'SERVICE'- Photo by: Ron Sachs/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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The Department of Justice sent a letter the House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Tuesday, trying to appease some of his requests to ward off the contempt recommendation of Attorney General William Barr he has been threatening.

Schiff wants the unredacted Mueller report and underlying intelligence. The DOJ has offered a less-redacted Mueller report than the public version and specific supporting documents. That compromise wasn’t enough for Schiff, who sent a May 16 letter threatening “action to enforce” the subpoena.

This is the DOJ’s latest response, in a letter penned by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd. He starts off warning Schiff that any move to recommend a contempt citation for Barr will end the body’s cooperation with the committee altogether.

He then moves on to sweeten the deal, promising haste and status updates in the DOJ’s effort to secure underlying intelligence for the Committee.

He does not, however, back down on the minimal reactions in the Mueller report, refusing to give Schiff a fully unredacted version.

Schiff set Wednesday as the deadline for his subpoena to be fulfilled, before he makes good on his “enforcement” threat.

Read the full letter here:

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Notable Replies

  1. I think Donnie better check up on his FEMA flood insurance. aka the United States DOJ

  2. Not just no but Hell no…

  3. “That compromise wasn’t enough for Schiff, who sent a May 16 letter threatening ‘action to enforce’ the subpoena.”

    Barr: “Does this orange jumpsuit make my ass look fat?”

  4. Pull out the hammer, Adam. Better yet, a mace.

  5. Blackmail is now an officially-sanctioned response between two of the branches of government. Got it.

    Pelosi, if you’re listening, this is exhibit 837 on the list of reasons why status-quo is no longer acceptable.

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